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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · wind · suit · squash · nail · land · cue · mug

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — ground
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. land — to come down
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com